PEORIA — Saying a South Peoria man was the type of criminal the Legislature intended lengthy prison terms for, a Peoria County judge on Wednesday sentenced him to 14 years for attacking another inmate on a transport bus from the Peoria County Jail.

Torlando D. McDonald, 30, 2137 S. Seibold St., maintained his innocence and denied attacking Reginald Anderson for being a snitch. He told Peoria County Judge Kevin Lyons he was a victim in the proceedings, which he deemed unfair.

Lyons told McDonald, who was convicted earlier this month of harassment of a witness, mob action and aggravated battery in connection with the Nov. 21, 2013, incident, he was dangerous.

The sentence will be served consecutively to a 25-year term imposed late last year for predatory criminal sexual assault of a child.

The charges focused on the beating of Anderson, who was riding in the bus from the jail to the courthouse on that day. He said he heard people calling him a snitch for testifying at the trial of Tony Harris, who was convicted and sentenced to 55 years in prison last December for shooting at a Peoria police officer.

Anderson then said McDonald wrapped the chain of his handcuffs around Anderson’s neck while another person, Akeem O. Ross, 26, beat him. Another inmate who was on the bus that day agreed with that version.

McDonald denied attacking Anderson. He admitted the attack occurred as Anderson said but said he didn’t participate. He pointed out that he, too, had testified for prosecutors in a 2007 murder case that saw two brothers convicted and McDonald pleading to a reduced charge.

Ross was sentenced last week but that sentence wasn’t known Wednesday.

Andy Kravetz can be reached at 686-3283 or akravetz@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @andykravetz.